PHILADELPHIA – Though the Phillies will report to Clearwater, Fla., with most of their roster seemingly set for 2026, there are a few spots worth monitoring this spring.
While this will be updated in the coming weeks, here’s our first crack at predicting the club’s Opening Day roster.
Catcher (2): J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchán
Realmuto will look to continue his run as the most durable catcher in the Majors after signing a three-year, $45 million deal to stay in Philadelphia. As for the reserve role, that figures to come down to Marchán and Garrett Stubbs, both of whom are out of Minor League options.
First baseman (1): Bryce Harper
No surprise here. Despite some rumblings in recent years that Harper would be willing to move back to the outfield under the right circumstances, he remains entrenched as the club’s first baseman. He’ll be looking to return to “elite” status after a solid, if not spectacular, 2025 season.
Second baseman (1): Bryson Stott
Stott had an up-and-down season at the plate last year, though his Gold Glove-caliber defense never wavered. The Phillies will be looking for more offensive consistency from Stott this season.
Shortstop (1): Trea Turner
Turner was putting up MVP-caliber numbers before a right hamstring strain in early September slowed him down over the final month. The Phillies will be looking for more of the same in 2026 from the reigning NL batting champion.
Third baseman (1): Alec Bohm
Bohm got off to a slow start last season following an offseason full of trade rumors, but he ultimately put together another respectable campaign. After hitting just .221 with a .526 OPS in March/April, Bohm hit .308 with an .809 OPS the rest of the way. The Phils will hope to unlock a bit more power from Bohm, who is in a contract year.
Outfielders (3): Justin Crawford, Adolis García, Brandon Marsh
The Phillies are going to give Crawford -- their No. 3 prospect -- every opportunity to win the starting job in center field. As for the corners, García signed a one-year deal to take over in right field, while Marsh is expected to start in left, likely as part of a platoon. It remains to be seen which right-handed hitter will be paired with Marsh, though Otto Kemp has the inside track.
DH (1): Kyle Schwarber
After signing a five-year, $150 million deal to stay with the Phillies, Schwarber will be looking to build off his remarkable 2025 season in which he hit a career-high 56 homers and played in all 162 games en route to finishing second in NL MVP voting.
Bench/Utility (3): Otto Kemp, Dylan Moore, Edmundo Sosa
Kemp is expected to get more work in the outfield this spring as the Phillies give him a chance to lock down the right-handed portion of a platoon in left field. Sosa is a lock to once again provide depth across the infield. Meanwhile, the last bench spot -- essentially replacing Weston Wilson, who was designated for assignment in January -- is a bit less certain. We’ll give the newcomer Moore the early edge for now, but the club could also go with a more full-time outfielder such as Johan Rojas, Bryan De La Cruz or Pedro León.
Starting Pitchers (5): Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
Zack Wheeler is said to be doing well in his rehab from thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23, but it’s unclear if he’ll be ready in time for Opening Day. The Phillies obviously aren’t going to rush him along, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them begin the season without their ace. That should open the door for Painter -- their No. 1 prospect -- to make his MLB debut and potentially pitch his way into a permanent rotation spot.
Relief Pitchers (8): Jhoan Duran (closer), Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, Zach Pop, Zach McCambley
If everyone is healthy, it seems as if six of the eight spots in the Phillies' bullpen are accounted for: right-handers Duran, Keller, Kerkering and Bowlan and left-handers Alvarado and Banks. There are plenty of candidates set to compete for the final two spots, but we’ll give the early edge to Pop -- who is out of Minor League options -- and McCambley, a Rule 5 Draft pick who has to be offered back to the Marlins if he’s not on the active roster.
Other potential options include right-handers Yoniel Curet, Nolan Hoffman, Seth Johnson, Max Lazar and Chase Shugart and left-hander Kyle Backhus.